U.S. stock futures were solidly higher Wednesday, with General Motors in focus after it reached a tentative agreement with the United Auto Workers to end a strike in the United States.

The UAW early Wednesday morning announced a tentative pact on a new national contract for about 74,000 U.S. auto workers that includes a restructuring of GM’s obligations for UAW retiree health care.

In today’s economic news, orders for U.S. durable goods decreased by 4.9% in August to a seasonally adjusted US$219.53 billion, the U.S. Commerce Department said. Durables increased 6.1% in July, revised from a previously estimated 6% advance. Economists had forecast August orders to be down 4.5%.

There are no major economic releases from Statistics Canada today.

The Canadian dollar opened at US99.26¢, down 0.38 of a cent.

In today’s earnings news, AGF Management Limited said net income from continuing operations for third-quarter ended August 31, was up 8.5% to $39.4 million, or 43¢ per share diluted, compared with $36.3 million, or 41¢ per share diluted, for the three months ended Aug. 31, 2006.

AGF said the year-over-year increase in net income was impacted by a recovery in income tax expense of $13.5 million in the 2006 period.

After Tuesday’s closing bell, software maker Red Hat said its second-quarter profit rose 59% to US$19.1 million.

In M&A news, Nasdaq Stock Market and Borse Dubai today raised their offer for OMX and said they have secured 47.6% of the shares in the Nordic exchange operator. The updated offer values OMX at around US$4.9 billion.

Crude-oil prices rose 57¢ to US$80.10 a barrel.

Overseas, The UK’s FTSE 100 index rose 1%, with banking stocks leading the gainers. Asian stocks were mixed.

The Toronto stock market logged its third straight session of gains Tuesday, as financial issues rose with the help of a takeover bid for DundeeWealth.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 39.34 points, or 0.3%, at 13,997.62.

DundeeWealth shares jumped $3.67, or 27.6%, to $16.98 after its parent company rejected an unsolicited $2.4 billion takeover bid from CI Financial

CI, which said on Tuesday it might adjust the offer, slipped 20¢, or 0.7%, to $26.80.

The junior S&P/TSX Venture composite index slipped 33.05 points to 2,801.39.

In New York, The Dow Jones industrial average gained 19.59 points, or 0.14, to finish at 13,778.65. The S&P 500 dropped 0.52 points, or 0.03, to 1,517.21. The Nasdaq composite index gained 15.50 points, or 0.58, to 2,683.45.